Compare and contrast the economic mobilization during the World Wars I Essay

Compare and contrast the economic mobilization during the World Wars I and II ( in the United States of America) - Essay Example The Axis powers mainly comprised of the countries like Germany, Italy, and Japan. Other countries were also included in the Axis powers such as Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and the others. Before 1861, United States of America was recognized as one the most powerful shipbuilding nations in the world. But threats gradually came when the European navy started focusing on the new techniques of shipbuilding by substituting wood with iron, introduction of steam driven sea vessels which substituted the primitive sails and awkward paddle wheel were replaced with screw propeller. In August 1914, the United States was almost fatigued by fighting the guerillas and disease in Cuba and Philippines in the Spanish-American wars and Philippine insurrections. USA after a long driven fighting was ready for peace. The president of the United States Wilson Woodrow also showed disinterest in war. On the other hand the Germans were very much alert about the position of the Americans in the water w ays. The Germans believed that they have to curb down the American power through the water way which will provide them easy communication with the allied power countries. On May 7, 1915 the German submarine U-20 sunk down the ocean liner Lusitania where 124 Americans lost their lives. This was a major blow to USA and in 6th April, 1917 war against Germany was declared by a joint resolution by the Congress in USA1 World War II and USA In the history of mankind World War II can be regarded as the largest and the most violent conflicts with the use of modern lethal weapons.2 The World War II was even more dangerous and violent than World War I. In September 1939, Britain declared war against Poland but America did not involve them in this conflict. But when on 7th December Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, America entered into a complete war with the Pacific and Europe. By 1944 US fighter planes carried on severe bombings starting from bombings of Dresden in Germany and then Japan and sixty three other countries and finally the atomic explosion in Hiroshima, Japan on 6th August 1945.3 Having an idea of the backdrop of involvement of USA in both the wars the paper focuses to highlight the economic mobilization of USA in both these wars and how it emerged as a superpower in the world. Economic mobilization of USA in World War I The United States of America declared war against Germany in April 1917. But the main problem which the US army faced was the availability of necessary resources in order to carry on the war. Apart from that US did not also had the plans in mind and was not also acquainted with the character and magnitude of wartime needs as well as specifications for several kinds of equipments.4 Mobilization of the force of army After the declaration of the war with Germany in 1917, there were no immediate reserve force of army in America for the combating the war. However there were high expectation from the Britain and France and they believed that a huge for ce of army would be infiltrating immediately in France. But their expectations were wrong. Only a small army of soldiers under General Pershing was sent to France.5 The problem of manpower issue was solved in May 1917 when President Woodrow Wilson approved a draft law which was formulated in order to prepare a solid army base for

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the